June 6, 2010; Miami, FL, USA; Texas A

On August 25th, 2011, I wrote an article entitled “Introducing John Stilson, Pick #108 in the 2011 Draft“. I still don’t believe you’ll find one article out there that will tell you any more than that about the man that seems to be getting very close to being “next in line” for a Jays promotion. In fact, if you simply type “John Stilson” into Google, you don’t see his Texas A&M page, his draft page from MLB.com, or a Baseball America article about him. You get the article linked above! Therefore, I encourage you to read through it and check out all linked articles within that piece if you’re interested in getting to know this great Jays prospect as much as possible.

I came away very impressed with what the Jays got with that pick and was ecstatic that they’d take that big a risk to get an upside arm (due to the injury risk). Late in that article, I stated the following:

“Between him and Sam Dyson, the Jays will have some fast-moving pen prospects moving through the system, even if both carry health questions with them.” (more…)

Joe Musgrove is another big-bodied pitcher from the 2011 Draft. (East County Sports)

Starting pitcher / 19 years old / 6′5″ 230 lbs

Born: December 4, 1992 in El Cajon, California

Bats: Right Throws: Right

High School: Grossmont (El Cajon, CA)

College: Had committed to San Diego State University prior to signing with the Jays

Acquired: Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round (46th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft, signed for $500,000 on June 9, 2011

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Was ranked 16th in the state of California by Perfect Game just before the 2011 Draft
• Grew up a fan of the San Diego Padres
• Also played varsity football and basketball in high school
• Follow him on Twitter: @musgrove23Jays
• Was the compensation pick obtained by the Blue Jays when free agent catcher John Buck signed with the Marlins

Career stats:

GCL Blue Jays team ranking (min. 3 GS):

• 2nd in H/9 (7.1) and WHIP (0.969)
• T-2nd in BB/9 (1.7) and fewest walks allowed (4)
• T-3rd in starts (7)
• 6th in in innings pitched (21.2)
• 8th in ERA (4.57)
• 9th in K/9 (6.6)

Scouting report:

A big-bodied right-handed pitcher from Grossmont High school in California, 6-foot-5, 230-pound Joe Musgrove already had a durable pitcher’s frame when he was drafted last year as an 18-year-old. Ranked 90th-best in the 2011 draft crop by Baseball America, the Blue Jays took Musgrove with the 46th-overall selection, higher than anybody had anticipated, including Musgrove himself.

Two other AL East teams, the Rays and the Orioles, were reportedly interested in drafting Musgrove, largely because of his plus fastball and projection to be a workhorse, 200-inning starter in the big leagues. His fastball sat consistently in the low 90′s last season, ranging from 90-96 mph and even touching 98 once. Musgrove also made changes to his workouts over the winter in hopes of adding a few ticks to the pitch, so it will be interesting to see what he’s clocked at when short season ball starts in late June.

Velocity isn’t the only thing with Musgrove’s fastball, though, since it has great movement with tremendous sink, and he will regularly use a two-seam variation of the pitch, especially against left-handed hitters. Musgrove also possesses above-average command of his fastball as well, something he quickly discovered had to be harnessed more often in pro ball after being able to blow his fastball anywhere over the plate to inexperienced hitters in high school.

Musgrove complements his impressive fastball with a a high-70′s hammer curveball, considered to be his best secondary pitch that currently grades as major-league average but has plus potential. He also boasts a low-80′s split changeup that is considered a work in progress. It’s been reported that Musgrove has prioritized working on his changeup and even switching to a circle grip, and considering the importance of a the pitch to Blue Jays coaches, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a much-improved changeup from Musgrove early on this season. The main issue the 19-year-old has with his changeup right now is inconsistent command, which is expected for a young pitcher right out of high school.

Musgrove signed quickly last year and was able to log eight starts, seven for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and one with Bluefield after a late-season promotion. On top of just getting accustomed to pro ball, the California native worked on keeping the ball down in the zone and repeating his delivery, two things that he’ll continue to work on this season.

Musgrove has a fantastic work ethic and takes instruction very well, so I’m interested to see the improvements that he’s made to his game after an entire off-season and extended spring training. It’s likely that he’ll pick up where he left off with Bluefield to open the year, but an assignment to Vancouver isn’t out of the question, either, and once the necessary improvements have been made to his off-speed pitches he could see a late-season promotion to Class-A Lansing.

Expected 2012 team: Bluefield Blue Jays (Rookie)

Ultimate ceiling if he puts it all together: No. 3-4 starter

-JM

No. 38: Jeremy Edward Gabryszwski

Starting pitcher / 18 years old / 6′4″ 195 lbs

Born: March 16, 1993 in Crosby, Texas

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: Crosby H.S.

College: Had committed to Lamar University prior to signing with the Jays

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 2nd round (78th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Signed: July 27, 2011 for $575,000

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Went 4-2 with a 2.54 ERA as a senior, with 49 strikeouts to eight walks
• 2011 19-4A Defensive Player of the Year
• 2010 first-team All-District selection
• Hit .417/.454/.631 with 12 runs and 28 RBIs while playing first base for Crosby H.S. in 2011
• Has the same amount of letters in his last name as former Blue Jay Marc Rzepczynski (11)

Career stats:

Extra Information and previous experience:

With the 2011 draft, the Blue Jays bolstered their already impressive group of young hurlers by selecting pitchers with 12 of their first 15 selections. One guy that gets lost in the shuffle despite being a second-round pick is young right-hander Jeremy Gabryszwski, who was selected four spots after Daniel Norris at 78th overall.

Another big-bodied arm to come out of Texas, Gabryszwski boasts a three-pitch mix. His fastball can already touch 94 mph, but as he irons out his delivery and adds a bit of weight to his 6-foot-4 frame, the pitch has the potential to consistently hit mid-90s on the radar gun. Shortly after being drafted, Baseball America reported that Gabryszwski showed glimpses of a plus slider, but that pitch is actually a curveball that sits around 86-87 mph. The 18-year-old can also throw a circle changeup at the same speed, and though both of his off-speed pitches are easily considered works in progress, they both have the potential to be plus offerings in the future.

Potential is one word you’ll see tied to Gabryszwski quite often, since the feeling is that he is harnessing a lot of untapped potential. He’s not afraid to attack hitters and keep the ball in the strike zone, and he draws rave reviews for how polished of a high school pitcher he is. Given the kind of upside that Gabryszwski has, it’s not surprising that multiple MLB teams apparently had him high on their draft boards.

Since Gabryszwski has a high ceiling and the tools to be an impact pitcher down the road, I’m sure you’re wondering why he didn’t get scooped up faster by another organization on draft day.

The first reason was Gabryszwski’s history of elbow problems, which were addressed in 2008 when he had surgery to repair a displaced bone and had a screw inserted, and the other was his battle with inconsistent fastball velocity. Though he would operate a lot of the time in the 90-93 range, he’d start registering in the mid-to-high 80s deeper into a start or in another start altogether, especially later in the season. This could be attributed to some fatigue in his arm from past troubles, and will be a factor to keep an eye on in the future.

Though he had signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Lamar University in the fall, Gabryszwski opted to sign with the Blue Jays at the end of July and start his professional career. He reported to the Jays’ Gulf Coast League affiliate in Dunedin, where he allowed three hits in 4.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and one walk. With the Bluefield Blue Jays in the thick of a playoff push late in the year, Gabryszwski was unexpectedly shipped there after only three GCL appearances.

After tossing one scoreless inning of relief in his regular-season debut with Bluefield on August 29, Gabryszwski closed out the B-Jays’ playoff loss to Elizabethton on September 1 with two scoreless innings of work, allowing just two hits while striking out three. In his final outing of the season, he surrendered two earned runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in 2.2 innings on September 4.

Expected 2012 team: Bluefield Blue Jays (Rookie)

Gabryszwski is yet another young pitcher to keep an eye on in the years to come, though he’s one that could either exceed expectations and contribute in a starting rotation, or possibly wind up in the bullpen later in his career if his inconsistent velocity continues or his arm troubles return.

As with all of their pitching prospects, the Blue Jays will exhaust every possible way to keep Gabryszwski as a starter. At this stage of his career and given the lack of pro data on him, though, it’s impossible to predict the route that he will take and, as a result, we’ve ranked him conservatively at No. 38

-JM

Like what you read and want to stay informed on all updates here at Jays Journal? Follow us on Twitter (@JaysJournal), “Like” our Facebook page, or grab our RSS feed!

.

After getting drafted in June, Biggs was named Mr. Kentucky Baseball. (Alex Slitz, BGDailyNews)

No. 40: Mark Austin Biggs

Starting pitcher / 18 years old / 6′3″ 205 lbs

Born: May 10, 1993 in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: Warren East H.S. (Bowling Green, KY)

College: N/A

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 8th round (259th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Signed: August 18, 2011

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Hit .444/.528/.949 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs as a position player this past season
• Big baseball fan overall, didn’t have a favorite team growing up
• (more…)

Up next on the top 50 list is a patient hitter with a great eye at the plate that grew up a Jays fan…

No. 41: Eric Arce

Left fielder / 20 years old / 5’10″ 193 lbs

Born: November 29, 1991 in Tampa, Florida

Bats Left   Throws Right

High School Team: Lakeland H.S. (Lakeland, FL)

College: Florida State University

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round (769th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 34 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

(more…) ]]> http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/26/jays-journal-top-50-blue-jays-prospects-no-41-eric-arce/feed/ 12 http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/10/jays-journal-top-50-blue-jays-prospects-no-43-christian-lopes/ http://jaysjournal.com/2012/01/10/jays-journal-top-50-blue-jays-prospects-no-43-christian-lopes/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:17:40 +0000 Jared Macdonald http://jaysjournal.com/?p=10455 Up next at No. 43 on our pre-2012 top prospects list is yet another shortstop, a high schooler from Southern California that is a plus hitter with a great eye at the plate… No. 43: Christian M. Lopes Shortstop / 19 years old / 6′0″ 185 lbs Born: October 1, 1992 in Huntington Beach, California [...]

Jays Journal Top 50 Blue Jays Prospects: No. 43 Christian Lopes - Jays Journal - Jays Journal - A Toronto Blue Jays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Up next at No. 43 on our pre-2012 top prospects list is yet another shortstop, a high schooler from Southern California that is a plus hitter with a great eye at the plate…

No. 43: Christian M. Lopes

Image courtesy of SI.com

Shortstop / 19 years old / 6′0″ 185 lbs

Born: October 1, 1992 in Huntington Beach, California

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: Edison (Huntington Beach, CA)

College: N/A

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 7th round (229th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Signed For: $800,000 on June 15, 2011

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

(more…)

]]>

Image courtesy of Baseball Canada

No. 44: Thomas Robson

Starting pitcher / 18 years old / 6′4″ 205 lbs

Born: June 27, 1993 in Ladner, BC, Canada

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: Delta Secondary School (Ladner, BC)

College: N/A

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 4th round (139th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Signed For: $325,000 ($136,000 above slot)

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

(more…)

Image courtesy of Batter's Box

No. 46: Chino Vega

Infielder / 20 years old / 5′8″ 175 lbs

Born: December 5, 1991 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico

Bats: Right    Throws: Right

High School: Trinity Christian H.S.

College: Miami-Dade CC South

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 28th round (859th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Signed For: $200,000

Jersey Number: 4 for the GCL Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

(more…)

No. 50: David Dwane Rollins

Image courtesy of The Province

Starting Pitcher / 22 years old / 6′1″ 195 lbs

Born: December 21, 1989 in Carthage, Texas

Bats: Left    Throws: Left

High School: Carthage H.S.

College: San Jacinto College

Drafted By: The Toronto Blue Jays in the 24th round (739th overall) of the 2011 Amateur Draft

Jersey Number: 27 for the Bluefield Blue Jays

Pre-2011 Rank: N/A

Quick Facts:

• Went to the same high school as Chicago White Sox right-hander Phil Humber
• Went 8-3 with a 4.61 ERA and 69 strikeouts in his freshman year at San Jacinto
• (more…)

The question to me is, what has the track record been for Jays players who play in the AFL? (more…)